Chris Karamanlidis: Burglar and identity fraudster posed as suburban lawnmower

A team of suburban burglars posing as a gardeners came unstuck when police spotted the “extremely poor standard” of their lawn mowing job.

A team of suburban burglars were scoping out houses by posing as a gardening crew, but came unstuck when police spotted the “extremely poor standard” of their lawn mowing job, a court has heard.

One of the men, Chris Karamanlidis, 46, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday where he admitted to a string of identity theft, driving, drug and property offences he committed in 2020 and early this year.

Karamanlidis, of Templestowe, has been behind bars police spotted the dodgy Balwyn lawn mowing job in February this year.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Stevens told the court officers asked the divorced father-of-one the name of the person whose lawn he was mowing.

Chris Karamanlidis pleaded guilty to property, drugs and identity theft charges.

Chris Karamanlidis (right) began taking ice when his wife left him, a court has heard.

When Karamanlidis could only come up with the name “Clifford”, and said he was doing a “cash job”, the officers searched him and found small bags of cannabis and ice in his pockets.

Karamanlidis, who appeared by video link from Margoneet jail, also admitted to breaking into a house in Newport and stealing $3500 worth of luxury goods, including two sets of pearls, Prada and Mui Mui sunglasses, 10 pairs of cufflinks and a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

Defence lawyer Nadia Giorgianni said her client was a loving father and son, who looked after his elderly parents but that “things started to go downhill” when he began using ice after his wife left him.

“All of Mr Karamanlidis’s offending is … either under the influence of drugs or in order to obtain money to purchase drugs,” she said.

Sgt Stevens said he was concerned Karamanlidis might be released from jail without any help to kick his drug habit.

Magistrate Kate Hawkins said Karamanlidis’s use of stolen credit cards and fake number plates meant he would need to serve more jail time because identity theft and fraud were common and serious crimes.

She said recent bans on visitors to Victorian jails meant fewer drugs were getting in.

“It’s a pretty hard way to detox and come of clean,” she said.

She said jail time was a chance for Karamanlidis to “reset”.

Ms Hawkins will sentence Karamanlidis in July.